Hold On
by Kuro49
Summary: RK for Julye. Hold on and never let go. Kanda knows he can’t afford to lose Rabi at a time like this, because death could easily be hiding around the corner and they may never have a second chance again.


This is a b-day fic **for Julye-chan**. (Although a little late because of the time zone problems XP) XD But **Happy Birthday!** (throws confetti for you) You're older than Rabi now! XD (Not sure if that's a good thing...) Anyways I hope this turned out to be as you asked, I for sure got the blood part, not sure if I captured this RK piece as "sweet" and "romantic". I don't own anything, just another idea to contribute to my ever growing pile of RK. :D

XXX

**Hold On**

XXX

He stood by the window and watched as the morning came despite the dull grey weathers. But the small town still bustled into action as the clock hit seven. He watched it all with a calculating eye of an emerald jewel. Every movement of the people was captured like snap shots that will never grow old as ink will on paper. Each drop, each stain was the record of a life.

He looked up through the thin pane of glass; the sky was grey even on such a warm morning. "It's going to rain, you know?"

The rustling of sheets replied him, turning around he saw a long mane of black splayed over the white covers of the pillow. Nothing stirred for a moment before a drowsy looking Yuu sat up in bed and murmured something inaudible.

"Morning to you too." Rabi greeted with a smile on his face as he made his way to the bed.

"Get away from me." His hair was tousled and his voice was still thick with sleep. Kanda tried to resist the huge urge to just fall back asleep. He rubbed at his eyes and slowly opened them, a slight dazed look in his icy blue eyes.

"That's not a way to greet someone, Yuu." Rabi grinned at the other as he sat down on the bed, the mattress sunk a little under his weight.

"What time is it?" Kanda ignored him and asked groggily.

"Just a little after seven." His tone never changed, just that same voice with the small bit of accent a person like Rabi would have.

Kanda nodded but didn't move from the spot.

"You don't want to get up, do you?" Rabi gave a small laughter at the other. A pillow was shoved into his face as a reply. The red head felt the bed shift as the other made his way off the bed.

His bare feet didn't make any noise on the ground. Rabi grabbed a hold of the pillow and lifted it off his face, watching as Yuu dragged the bed sheet into the washroom, covering his bare body.

The sound of the shower started and then a knock came at the door. Rabi stood up and walked over; pulling it open he looked at the Finder with a grin on his face.

"Morning." Rabi's accent put in place again.

"Morning, exorcist." He bowed a little. "It is a shame to bother you so early in the morning."

"It's alright, what's up?" He asked, wide grin on his face. The falling streams of water from Yuu's shower still sounded out in the background.

"Well there has been a phone call; we are suspecting that there may be a level 1 Akuma at the edge of town." The Finder nervously reported. Rabi listened and then nodded.

"I will be right there, wait for me at the front of the building." He said before closing the door to the motel room.

He walked back in and paused at the bathroom, he gently knocked at it. There was only the constant shower as the water hit the walls. He turned the knob to find it unlock, quietly he stepped into the bathroom.

Steam poured out in a desperate escape, he waved a hand in front of his face as he left the door ajar behind him. The bed sheet was on the tiled floor, left there in haste as Yuu stepped into the warm shower. He bended down to pick it up, it smelt faintly of the two of them. He smiled before placing the sheet back on to the sink counter.

"Yuu?" He called out, staring at the blurry figure shift behind the hazy shower curtains.

The shower was turned off and Kanda stuck his head out. His long black hair dripped with water, plastered against his pink cheeks. Water droplets hung on to his long lashes.

And then he replied with an annoyed stare. "What?"

"You have a nice figure." He joked, pretending to look at the other's body from behind the curtains. Kanda's cheeks no longer flushed from the heat of the water temperature, now it flushed with a new intensity of something far greater.

"Get away from me!" He huffed in embarrassment. He tried to stay further away from the almost see-through curtains. Upon sensing Rabi's silent laughter, he aimed a bottle of shampoo at the red head. He dodged in time and could only laugh out loud at Yuu.

Rabi backed out to the door and said. "I will be out for just a few moments, alright?"

"What do I care?!" Kanda tossed back with the thinnest hint of a pout before the shower was turned back on. Rabi smiled to himself as he closed the bathroom door behind him and left Yuu to his own contentment.

He grabbed his exorcist jacket from the back of a chair as he shouted back a quick bye and then he closed the door to their motel room.

000

The shower turned off and he stepped out from the steam that curled around his slick wet form. His long black hair dripped with crystal clear water, they rolled off of his cheeks and splattered to the ground.

He gave a stretch, using a free hand he wrung out the water from his hair with a towel. Looking around the similar motel room, Rabi's exorcist jacket was gone; his boots were also not by his bed.

Kanda sat down on one of the mattresses; the bed sheets were still messily crumbled into a pile at the end. And then he remembered the one in the bathroom and got back up to retrieve it. His pair of black pants threatening to slide off his hips as he walked.

His black stringy hair was still damp with moisture, he looked at the clock, it has been almost an hour since he has been gone.

His skin was pink with warmth and his fingertips were still wrinkled from the amount of time he spent in the water. He let out a huge sigh and laid down on the bed, wet strands of hair soaked into the crisp white pillow. His eyes slide close as he tried to fight the urge to fall back asleep on such a grey morning.

000

"Come on!" Rabi grunted, fighting off another Akuma. He reached up and brushed the beads of blood rolling off the scratch on his cheek.

He took a gaze around, surveying the grounds. He caught sight of the Finder standing at the edge of the fight, away from harm and he let out a breath of relief, he really didn't need someone else to be hurt.

"Mr. Exorcist!" The Finder stumbled away from another small attack of an almost dead Akuma.

Rabi turned to face him, acknowledging the other to continue as he narrowly missed another shot of bullets.

The Finder shouted out. "Do you want me to find Exorcist Kanda?!" The simple one Akuma has turned into twenty; the good thing was that they were all just level ones.

He blinked, rethinking to the flashbacks of the other teen, bleeding from wounds all over his frail body and shook his head. "No! I can handle it!"

He gave the Finder an encouraging smile before turning face to face with the Akuma's gunpoint. But it was too late; Rabi has long since set the fire seal on the Akuma. Rabi watched, just a little solemn as it burned to nothing but ashes at the toe of his foot.

He felt worn; the taste of his blood and sweat was salty, it dripped down his cheek and landed at the corner of his lips. His legs were going to give out under him any moment, his eyesight hazed up like it would in the fog. The grey skies above kept on moving as the amount of Akumas kept on dropping. Another fell to his feet and gave a long lasting whine before winding down to its death.

He took another look around but what he didn't notice was the sharp point of a blade pointing straight into his back, coming from behind, it was the last Akuma. The Finder's call was too late, he managed to dodge it but the blade still went through and now blood poured from the wound in his stomach. He gasped at the shear amount of pain coursing through out his body, the blood burned as it seeped through his jacket.

He took a look down, the blade stuck out from his body; its silver material was laced with his own crimson shade. He tore his body away from it with all the strength he could muster before collapsing into the awaiting hands of the Finder.

000

The door was suddenly kicked open; Kanda sat up, still in a haze thick with sleep. He opened his eyes and what he saw made his eyes widen even further, flicks of fear slowly developed in his iris as he slowly picked up each drop of blood that Rabi sheds.

"Exorcist!" The Finder's voice burst into his thoughts and he quickly stood up, hair flaying with the motion. "H-h-he has…" He stuttered, voice trembling as he talked.

"Spit it out already!" Kanda snapped, not in the mood to deal with the Finder's stupidity as he hurried over to take Rabi into a sturdier hold as the Finder continued to stumble with his talk.

"He has been stabbed by an Akuma!" He burst out in a mix of both fear and worry.

Kanda took the other into his arms, Rabi was breathing, his chest heaved up and down in a constant motion as he sucked in each breath. And then he turned to the trembling Finder standing by the door still. "Is the Akuma dead?"

"Y-yes!" He burst out, seemingly to the one that was out of breath. "I-I asked Exorcist Rabi whether he needed backup, bu-but-but he said no and that h-he could… handle it."

Kanda took in the information that the Finder flooded him with as he gently laid the redhead on to the bed. He kneeled by the bed and leaned over, unzipping the black and white exorcist jacket that reeked of blood and sweat.

Kanda could hear the Finder's constant mumbles of regrets as he ran a hand through his still damp strands, feeling another headache coming along. He let out a long breath and had to clamp his hand into a fist before he lashed out at the cowering man behind him.

"Get me bandages, washcloth and some warm water."

He demanded as he looked back down at the bloody mess laid out before his eyes. Rabi's pulse was evident underneath his trembling fingers. He heard the ragged breathing from the red head, and the blood rushing from his wounds proved him to be alive although not so much as well.

"Rabi… you idiot…" He muttered, eyes narrowing, not in annoyance or anger but in regret.

"Still… in-insulting… me, Yuu…?" Rabi gasped out, ignoring the pain; he managed to clear his head and focused on everything that was happening now.

"…yes." Kanda replied after a small pause of silence, a bitter tilt of his lips upwards was enough to show that he appreciated the humor Rabi tried to give despite his situation.

He looked down at the wound; his eyes could never really find their way away from that red splat on his stomach. He peeled back the tight black shirt from the other's body, leaving his wound bare to the open air. The shirt itself was torn at the injury and it was soaked in blood.

"I was here waiting… and then you came back…" Kanda didn't know how he could continue but waiting for the Finder to come back just seems to be a million years away.

"Hey… At least…" He took a pause and sucked in another breath, calming the tempo of his heart down by just a little. "I came back… for Yuu."

His lips were still smiling; Kanda's shoulder slumped as he brushed back Rabi's flaming red strands. He didn't like the color of blood; he lost too much himself to be fond of it. But on closer inspection, he took comfort in Rabi's hair, he liked that shade of red, it felt warm like an under control fire. While blood was a warm and slicker form that could run wild way too easily and you wouldn't know what it could lead to next.

The sight of blood brought uncertainty and Kanda Yuu didn't like that one bit.

"Here you go, sir!" The Finder burst through the door again, this time with bandages and washcloths in his arms. Kanda snapped his head up and concentrated on the task at hand as the Finder brought out a warm bucket of water.

Gently the wet washcloth was dabbing at Rabi's wounds. The dried reddish brown blood that caked at his skin was slowly wiped away. Rabi winced just as the edge of the cloth ran along the cut of his wounds; Kanda quickly pulled back and muttered an almost inaudible apology.

"You're new, aren't you?" Kanda broke the suffocating silence in the room and asked as the Finder handed him a fresh roll of bandages.

He looked down at his bloody hands and replied with a bit of reluctance. "…Yeah."

"The Order has their reasons for sending two exorcists out on a mission." Kanda said as the two of them boosted Rabi into a sitting position. The Finder nodded before holding Rabi in place as Kanda cleaned up the red head's backside.

"Learn from your mistakes and you won't die so easily." Kanda didn't know whether he was directing this at the Finder or Rabi. But he shook his head lightly and continued. He slowly wrapped the bandages around Rabi's stomach. He was still bleeding, but the flow of blood lessened and Kanda let out a light breath of slight relief.

He didn't realized how much seeing Rabi like this could affect him.

"I will leave you two to it." The Finder bowed his head as he gathered the last of the used washcloths and bloody bandages. And then he closed the door behind him, leaving the room in silence once more.

000

His heavy breathing has calmed down, as slight as it may have been, Kanda could tell the difference. Rabi sat on the bed, backside leaning against the pillowed headboard. He had his eye closed; he tilted his neck to an angle where he could feel the wall against the back of his head.

Kanda sat there on the ground, shoulders slumped and hands still stained a drying crimson red. His pale doll like face had smears of blood, pulling the contrast between white and red even farther than intended. He could smell the loss of blood in the air, clinging as if for dear life on to the once crisp air, now it was just musty and thick with the scent of Rabi's own blood.

"I messed up… Yuu." He started, voice as warm as ever despite the situation he was talking about.

Kanda didn't reply just sat there, unmoving, simply breathing and content with the fact that the other was alive. He eyes were concentrated on the blood soaked bed sheet that lay in a heap beside him. The image of Rabi coming in with blood tainting every inch of his skin scared him, it really did. His hands still trembled lightly.

"Sorry." Rabi said as he opened his eye, an orb a mix of apologetic emerald.

"I was lying…" It took a while for him to say it, but in the end he got over his pride and spat it out, not out of distaste but out of something called sincerity. "When I said I didn't care."

"I didn't mean it."

Rabi looked up; his old smile in place because what he said really made him feel something spark off on the inside, once again. It was those weird moments that made him feel alive. "You think I can't tell?"

Kanda looked up with the most adorable expression on his face, a mix of embarrassment, anger, and relief. He glared but the threat that usually underlined it was gone. He crossed his arms over his chest and sat on the ground, stubborn like a child who didn't get their way.

Rabi laughed a gentle melody in the grey atmosphere. It felt warming to the other and he somehow let go of the little pride he had left in between the two of them.

"So you know… that I didn't mean it when…" He didn't dare looking into the red head's eye; he could feel his cheeks burning as he struggled with his sentence. "When I said to get away from me…?"

Rabi nodded, reaching out to take a hold of the other's arm. "Of course." He pulled him closer.

"You were always easy to read." The red head tilted his chin up, and their eyes met. Amused green met with a pair of slightly annoyed icy blues. Kanda tried to shove him away but despite the pain that gnawed at his wound, Rabi held on.

He clasped his hand over the other's.

"Don't ever let go."

And then Rabi pulled him into an embrace, it was a promise for them to hold on, no matter how delicate it could get.

XXX Kuro

Was the end too sappy? D: I just realized they didn't even share a kiss... wow that is either the first time or the last time XD I think I went a little over with the blood... (don't ask me why don't they just go to the hospital...) but well I hope at least someone could feel the love between them. :P Review if liked?

I wish you the best of all, Julye! v (And I hoped this satisfied you... probably not but still XD) -glomps-


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